The spirit of censored Playhouse is dying

Published: Saturday, December 8, 2012 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, December 7, 2012 at 1:14 p.m.

I want to take this opportunity to defend the Flat Rock Playhouse. Yes, friends, in case you weren't sitting down, let me repeat that: I want to defend the FRP!

The lead headline in the Nov. 30 Times-News read: "Playhouse, County Reach Pact." No, that isn't "altogether correct," as my old buddy, Hank Sinclair, used to say. The headline should have read: "FRP Surrenders Unconditionally."

I'm glad to see that before we toss another "bag o' shekels" to the group, we are demanding more financial oversight. Question: Why wasn't this considered before now? Better late than never, I suppose.

The demand of fiscal openness makes sense, and it is good. County Commissioner Larry Young stated that future plays produced will forgo foul language, sex and tawdriness. That is bad.

Whoa! FRP, stop in the name of your integrity! A theater is supposed to represent life. Not life as the theocrats see it, not life as a fundamental Christian views it. No sir, a play should paint a picture of life, warts and all.

While I have been adamantly opposed to taxpayer money being used, I have had the greatest respect for the recent plays being produced. In the past, all too many plays were light comedy and other mere pap. And yet pap is good for the soul at times. But not all the time, you see? In the past, there was little balance in the type of plays, and balance, like integrity, should be on a large part of theater. You laugh. You cry. That's life, folks.

If the only way the FRP can survive is to sell out its birthright for a bowl of beans, or in this case to please and tickle the ears of the sanctimonious, then it would be better for the FRP to "perish in that howling infinite."

It took guts on the part of the FRP to produce "Twelve Angry Men" and other plays. It took courage to speak real language instead of some "cleaned up," bowdlerized version.

When religionists start calling the shots on what should be portrayed, then that theater is already dead. If the only way ticket sales are to increase is for language to be censored, sex to be eliminated and "tawdriness" to be stopped, then the true spirit of theater will die with a stake in its heart.

Dearly beloved, sometimes life is tawdry. Sometimes life is coarse. People in this awful "vale of tears" do use foul language. And you know that people do make love occasionally. To eliminate all of that is to eliminate life itself. When an artist, writer, actor, producer or director cannot tell the truth as he sees it, then the end is upon him already.

Contrary to what Young said about the use of foul language, tawdriness and (God forbid) sex being "solved," it is anything but.

This is a perfect example of why art should never ever accept money from government. Government expects to call the shots. Politicians know nothing of art. The Philistines always win. I warned the FRP that this would happen.

I am totally against allowing religionists to take over direction of any artistic endeavor. If the sanctimonious in our area wish to practice their faith, let them do it in church, not at the Flat Rock Playhouse.

It was Kafka who said a book should be the axe that smashes the ice that surrounds and smothers our soul. The same could be said for the theater. Rest in peace, FRP. I hate to see you go like this. And that's the truth.

<p>I want to take this opportunity to defend the Flat Rock Playhouse. Yes, friends, in case you weren't sitting down, let me repeat that: I want to defend the FRP!</p><p>The lead headline in the Nov. 30 Times-News read: "Playhouse, County Reach Pact." No, that isn't "altogether correct," as my old buddy, Hank Sinclair, used to say. The headline should have read: "FRP Surrenders Unconditionally."</p><p>I'm glad to see that before we toss another "bag o' shekels" to the group, we are demanding more financial oversight. Question: Why wasn't this considered before now? Better late than never, I suppose.</p><p>The demand of fiscal openness makes sense, and it is good. County Commissioner Larry Young stated that future plays produced will forgo foul language, sex and tawdriness. That is bad.</p><p>Whoa! FRP, stop in the name of your integrity! A theater is supposed to represent life. Not life as the theocrats see it, not life as a fundamental Christian views it. No sir, a play should paint a picture of life, warts and all.</p><p>While I have been adamantly opposed to taxpayer money being used, I have had the greatest respect for the recent plays being produced. In the past, all too many plays were light comedy and other mere pap. And yet pap is good for the soul at times. But not all the time, you see? In the past, there was little balance in the type of plays, and balance, like integrity, should be on a large part of theater. You laugh. You cry. That's life, folks.</p><p>If the only way the FRP can survive is to sell out its birthright for a bowl of beans, or in this case to please and tickle the ears of the sanctimonious, then it would be better for the FRP to "perish in that howling infinite."</p><p>It took guts on the part of the FRP to produce "Twelve Angry Men" and other plays. It took courage to speak real language instead of some "cleaned up," bowdlerized version.</p><p>When religionists start calling the shots on what should be portrayed, then that theater is already dead. If the only way ticket sales are to increase is for language to be censored, sex to be eliminated and "tawdriness" to be stopped, then the true spirit of theater will die with a stake in its heart.</p><p>Dearly beloved, sometimes life is tawdry. Sometimes life is coarse. People in this awful "vale of tears" do use foul language. And you know that people do make love occasionally. To eliminate all of that is to eliminate life itself. When an artist, writer, actor, producer or director cannot tell the truth as he sees it, then the end is upon him already.</p><p>Contrary to what Young said about the use of foul language, tawdriness and (God forbid) sex being "solved," it is anything but.</p><p>This is a perfect example of why art should never ever accept money from government. Government expects to call the shots. Politicians know nothing of art. The Philistines always win. I warned the FRP that this would happen. </p><p>I am totally against allowing religionists to take over direction of any artistic endeavor. If the sanctimonious in our area wish to practice their faith, let them do it in church, not at the Flat Rock Playhouse.</p><p>It was Kafka who said a book should be the axe that smashes the ice that surrounds and smothers our soul. The same could be said for the theater. Rest in peace, FRP. I hate to see you go like this. And that's the truth.</p>